moving!

Moving to Austin.
Accepted to school.
Working my ass off trying to find scholarships and writing essays.

austin, texas

You couldn't have given me better weather. See you soon!

saturday lovin'

I've been so much more diligent about keeping track of blogs these days. I want to share with you my top three reads so far for the year.

1.  Something Monumental - I've been a pretty faithful reader of Mandy's blog for a few months now. A while back, she said she was going to be posting less but it seems to me she is posting more! I am not complaining. She's got cute tutorials, great photography, and cute creations.








 2.  Bird's Party - This one is a new find for me. Great tutorials, cute imagery, bright colors - you really can't miss it. I look forward to following their posts this year & see more of what they're about.

3. Vegan Baking - Enough said. I want to bake my way through their website.




And, with that, I'm going to go eat a raw brownie bar.

quinoa lumps

I'm in the middle of a cleanse. Almost the worst time to be in the middle of a cleanse because we have homemade cookies & candies everywhere! I decided that I could enjoy cookies too if I made some very simple & healthy ones.

I've been eating quinoa by the handfuls since I've been on my cleanse. It is such a wonderful & diverse grain - you can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It takes on the qualities of whatever you put in it, and it cooks quickly & stores well in the fridge! Toss it with some agave & cinnamon for breakfast, or onions, garlic, & spinach for a quick and easy dinner. You can also make these delicious cookies I adapted from Simple Spoonful.

Healthy Coconut Quinoa Lumps

1/2 cup almond butter
1/3 cup raw agave nectar
2 tbsp ground hemp seeds (I will try sunflower seeds next time)
2 cups cooked quinoa (let it cool a bit)
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup shredded coconut (flakes would make these even more interesting!)
1/4 cup raw cacao nibs (or, you could try using dark chocolate chips or carob chips)

1.  Pre-heat oven to the lowest setting possible (mine starts at 150).  Line cookie sheet with parchment/wax paper.
2.  Mix together the almond butter, agave, and ground seeds.
3.  Mix in quinoa, oats, and coconut.  Gently fold in cacao nibs.  (tips from simple spoonful - if your quinoa is on the wet side, they may not hold together - try tossing in more almond butter and/or seeds)
4.  Grab a tablespoon full and make in to balls in your hands - make sure they're tightly formed - then place on baking sheet. Flatten with fingers.  (your hands will get messy, which make the lumps hard to form well - rinse off after about every 6 cookies.)
5.  Put in oven and let them set for about 1 to 1+1/2 hours.

I like these at just a bit warm to room temperature. Be sure to store in the refrigerator!

chairs

Chairs. I love chairs. But, I live in a very small space. There is room for our one couch (twin bed, extra pillows), 4 dining chairs (used at the table & for stacking boxes on) and 1 work chair (at the crafty desk).

So, what's a girl to do without room for chairs? Window shop online, of course!

This round chair would look nice on my (imaginary) patio.

 I can see myself sitting in the sun with the pups in my lap in this Artifort Chair by Geoffrey Harcourt.

Herman Miller/Eames Inspired Molded chairs one in each color, please.









 This Collins Rocker looks nice for knitting in (as long as it's not in this color orange.)










One day, I'll have a collection of nice chairs, and tables, and lamps. For now, this will do!

365 project: week 1

Here are my photos from the first week of January for the 365 Project.  I'm pretty amazed I kept up with it! (I know, it's only a week - but that is a big deal!) Click the flickr box to the left to see full size images.

I'll try to share updates a couple of times a month! Especially when I do more exciting things than just everyday life.

first soup of the year!

I had a chance to make my first soup of the year - the fifth day in! I love soup so much, even more when it's cold outside because a hot soup can fix even the chilliest of chills! This soup is completely vegan, although it does seem quite creamy due to the almond milk, and should cost under $2 per serving!

Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup (adapted from the current Whole Foods circular)

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
3 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
5 tsp curry powder (use your favorite)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
3 cloves chopped garlic
5 cups (about 1 small head, or a little over half medium head) of cauliflower
sea salt (to taste)
agave nectar (to taste - about 4 tablespoons)

1.  Preheat oven to 350.
2.  In a small bowl, toss sunflower seeds with 1 teaspoon of almond milk & 1 teaspoon curry powder. Spread out on a small parchment paper-line baking sheet and bake, tossing once or twice, for 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
3.  Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup almond milk in large pot over medium heat.  Add garlic & onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft (about 10 minutes). 
4.  Add cauliflower, remaining 4 teaspoons of curry powder and almond milk. Bring to a boil.
5.  Cover and turn down heat to a simmer until cauliflower is very tender, about 40 minutes.
6.  Add salt & agave nectar to taste.
7.  Working in batches, carefully puree soup in blender until smooth.
8.  Transfer to bowls, and top with sunflower seeds!

happy new year!

I hope that everyone had a safe & happy new years.

We spent a lovely night at home with two fabulous friends. We served vegan biscuits 'n gravy with a side of collard greens.  Man, was that delicious!  After dinner, we played scrabble sentences until the ball dropped, and then said our goodbyes.  James & I took a quick stroll down to the Brass Ring to deliver leftovers & have a quick cocktail.  After returning home, we sat down to write out some goals for 2011.

Among them are:

* move out of state
* spend more time interacting with the outside world (real life!)
* listen & see more music
* focus more on artwork
* eat well & at home more, and out less
* take one photo a day every day this year (Project 365)

I figure these are all completely do-able, so we should do them! Best wishes to you on your resolutions!